Category: politics
-
Personal Responsibility and Our Irresponsible Behaviours
Even though we may be reluctant to pay a premium for our insurance because of others who engage in irresponsible behaviours (for example: smoking, overeating and health insurance), Sandeep Jauhar, M.D. reminds us of some pertinent results from the health care field. Jauhar provides evidence that “punitive measures to force healthy behavior” do not work;…
-
Licensing and Patents for Green Technology and Drugs
The Seed Magazine ‘panel’ (who?) was asked How can intellectual property be adapted to spread green tech? Their short answer starts by looking at drug licensing (the last sentence is quite shocking): By World Trade Organization law, if a patented drug can improve public health in a developing country, it’s available for compulsory licensing. That…
-
The CCTV Trade-Off
That CCTV doesn’t substantially help in reducing crime has been shown beyond reasonable doubt, proposes Bruce Schneier, so now the pressing question is whether or not the benefits security cameras do afford are worthwhile. There are exceptions, of course, and proponents of cameras can always cherry-pick examples to bolster their argument. These success stories are…
-
Political Rhetoric and Speechwriter ‘Tricks’
How the art of political rhetoric is regarded differently in Britain and America: In the US, the act of speechwriting has gained an almost mythical status. As keepers of the president’s words, the speechwriters are at the centre of government and are objects of fascination. It is a little different in Westminster. There are no…
-
Environmental Assumptions
Big business is environmentally destructive: a widespread and almost unquestioned assumption. A false assumption, according to Jared Diamond, noting that profits often arise from green initiatives and environmental concern is of inherent importance to many large corporations. The story is told through the lens of Wal-Mart’s transport and packaging initiatives, Coca-Cola’s concern “with problems of…
-
Terrorism and Our Responses
Shortly after the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 incident, Bruce Schneier provided links to a number of articles that published interviews, quotes or essays from him. As expected, Schneier calmly reiterates his old advice that is as valid now as it was pre-9/11. The one not to miss: Is aviation security mostly for show? The best defenses against…
-
Religion and Societal Dysfunction
Dysfunctional societies and those under extreme stress rely on religion as a coping mechanism; it is “a natural invention of human minds in response to a defective habitat”. This is one conclusion from Gregory Paul who has released the findings from his research on the incidence of religious belief and how it affects the overall…
-
The Societal Value of Various Jobs
The New Economics Foundation has released a report comparing various jobs in terms of the societal value they destroy or generate (pdf). The report was produced to start “a fundamental rethink of how the value of work is recognised and rewarded”—specifically by creating a relationship between jobs that create a benefit for society and the…
-
Statistics on Social Mobility and Belief Systems
Careers in law, medicine and the media are become more exclusive, while citizens from deprived areas continue to be failed by education. New Statesman provides a summary of (some) social mobility issues in the U.K., including these somewhat startling statistics: Privately educated candidates account for 7 per cent of the population, but occupy more than half…
-
Homeowners and Civil Engagement
According to The Wall Street Journal, the home buyers’ tax credit initiative (U.S.) was “intended to help spur housing sales” by offering financial incentives to first time home-buyers and certain repeat buyers. However the initiative encourages “excess mobility”, suggests Edward Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard, and this is something we should not be…